Mark Annand
@markannand.bsky.social
Born at 313ppm. If you're nearby, enjoy www.twotunnels.org.uk.
"Ghostbusters" 'cos, that clarinet on the sidewalk.
Profile photo credit @confluentious
"Ghostbusters" 'cos, that clarinet on the sidewalk.
Profile photo credit @confluentious
The number of times you see muppet driving - really drawing attention to themselves - and you run the numberplate and sure enough, no MOT, no VED or something else best not gazed on.
November 11, 2025 at 4:23 PM
The number of times you see muppet driving - really drawing attention to themselves - and you run the numberplate and sure enough, no MOT, no VED or something else best not gazed on.
Reposted by Mark Annand
Nowhere in the hysterical pile-on against the BBC in the British press has anyone mentioned that BBC News now has 77 million viewers & listeners in the US and has established itself as the second most trusted news source there.
November 11, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Nowhere in the hysterical pile-on against the BBC in the British press has anyone mentioned that BBC News now has 77 million viewers & listeners in the US and has established itself as the second most trusted news source there.
Reposted by Mark Annand
there's a moment in PARADISE LOST where Satan arrives in Eden and realizes Hell isn't a place; it's a thing he carries within him and it'll follow him wherever he goes. and i think about that when i see these awful rich men whose monstrous wealth has enriched them not at all
“whatever club he’s invited to join has been devalued by the invitation”
November 11, 2025 at 6:31 AM
there's a moment in PARADISE LOST where Satan arrives in Eden and realizes Hell isn't a place; it's a thing he carries within him and it'll follow him wherever he goes. and i think about that when i see these awful rich men whose monstrous wealth has enriched them not at all
Reposted by Mark Annand
The founder of Newsmax was just on the Today programme pontificating about bias. Boy, the BBC loves to submit itself to flagellation.
November 11, 2025 at 8:22 AM
The founder of Newsmax was just on the Today programme pontificating about bias. Boy, the BBC loves to submit itself to flagellation.
Reposted by Mark Annand
Good morning to all those people who wasted the last decade saying, "there's no point tackling climate change in the UK, because China."
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
China’s CO2 emissions have been flat or falling for past 18 months, analysis finds
World’s biggest polluter on track to hit peak emissions target early but miss goal for cutting carbon intensity
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Good morning to all those people who wasted the last decade saying, "there's no point tackling climate change in the UK, because China."
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Reposted by Mark Annand
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
Reposted by Mark Annand
Oxford has the fifth highest number of dirty public toilets according to a new report. York, Bath and Cambridge topped the chart. The report was based on google reviews for public toilets.
www.businesswaste.co.uk/news/which-u...
www.businesswaste.co.uk/news/which-u...
November 10, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Oxford has the fifth highest number of dirty public toilets according to a new report. York, Bath and Cambridge topped the chart. The report was based on google reviews for public toilets.
www.businesswaste.co.uk/news/which-u...
www.businesswaste.co.uk/news/which-u...
Reposted by Mark Annand
What you’re witnessing is a populist assault on the BBC.
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
November 10, 2025 at 10:52 AM
What you’re witnessing is a populist assault on the BBC.
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
This is not an institutional scandal in any meaningful sense of the word. It is an attack on public service broadcasting.
iandunt.substack.com/p/extra-edit...
Reposted by Mark Annand
Can the UK actually have ambition for once?
Govt scraps all electrification investment. Midland Main Line to stay forever diesel Leicester Nottingham Derby Sheffield. Hugely embarrassing and inexplicable
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
UK transport secretary says full electrification of railways ‘not affordable right now’
Heidi Alexander says focus will be on other projects such as HS2
www.ft.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Can the UK actually have ambition for once?
Reposted by Mark Annand
If I see one more stupid Rosalind Franklin take I'm going to lose my mind. Thank god for @matthewcobb.bsky.social and @nccomfort.bsky.social. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure
Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.
www.nature.com
November 8, 2025 at 7:21 AM
If I see one more stupid Rosalind Franklin take I'm going to lose my mind. Thank god for @matthewcobb.bsky.social and @nccomfort.bsky.social. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Mark Annand
Everything good that's happened in UK rail in my lifetime has been stuff that's occurred despite the resistance of the Department for Roads, and the thing that the GBR structure does is to consolidate total power over rail in the hands of those bastards
November 8, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Everything good that's happened in UK rail in my lifetime has been stuff that's occurred despite the resistance of the Department for Roads, and the thing that the GBR structure does is to consolidate total power over rail in the hands of those bastards
Reposted by Mark Annand
Tories scrapped half of HS2, which without the other half would actually make many train times worse.
People said “why don’t you focus on electrification of existing lines then” so now Labour, eager to proven they’re different from Tories, have scrapped all of that too.
People said “why don’t you focus on electrification of existing lines then” so now Labour, eager to proven they’re different from Tories, have scrapped all of that too.
Govt scraps all electrification investment. Midland Main Line to stay forever diesel Leicester Nottingham Derby Sheffield. Hugely embarrassing and inexplicable
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
UK transport secretary says full electrification of railways ‘not affordable right now’
Heidi Alexander says focus will be on other projects such as HS2
www.ft.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Tories scrapped half of HS2, which without the other half would actually make many train times worse.
People said “why don’t you focus on electrification of existing lines then” so now Labour, eager to proven they’re different from Tories, have scrapped all of that too.
People said “why don’t you focus on electrification of existing lines then” so now Labour, eager to proven they’re different from Tories, have scrapped all of that too.
It's only a single data point, always regarded November 6th as crisp - the date that most of the last leaves came off the trees while some small boys scoured the streets for spent rocket sticks.
Fast forward to November 8th 2025 and this common darter(?) dragonfly was in the air above the canal.
Fast forward to November 8th 2025 and this common darter(?) dragonfly was in the air above the canal.
November 9, 2025 at 6:59 PM
It's only a single data point, always regarded November 6th as crisp - the date that most of the last leaves came off the trees while some small boys scoured the streets for spent rocket sticks.
Fast forward to November 8th 2025 and this common darter(?) dragonfly was in the air above the canal.
Fast forward to November 8th 2025 and this common darter(?) dragonfly was in the air above the canal.
Reposted by Mark Annand
Reposted by Mark Annand
National Trust council elections saw a defeat for the Restore Trust campaign.
35k members voted to re-elect a slate of council candidates endorsed by the nominations committee
12k - 13.5k voted for candidates on Restore Trust slate
Non-slate candidated
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
35k members voted to re-elect a slate of council candidates endorsed by the nominations committee
12k - 13.5k voted for candidates on Restore Trust slate
Non-slate candidated
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
Voting results from the AGM
Read about the National Trust's 2025 Annual General Meeting and the results from the day.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
November 8, 2025 at 11:50 PM
National Trust council elections saw a defeat for the Restore Trust campaign.
35k members voted to re-elect a slate of council candidates endorsed by the nominations committee
12k - 13.5k voted for candidates on Restore Trust slate
Non-slate candidated
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
35k members voted to re-elect a slate of council candidates endorsed by the nominations committee
12k - 13.5k voted for candidates on Restore Trust slate
Non-slate candidated
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...
Travelled on two GWR Class 80xs yesterday. On both, a longstanding defect which can impact passenger safety. The seat padding fails: the support structure then imposes pressure, leading to an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis.
You can check for this before sitting, the defect is often visible.
You can check for this before sitting, the defect is often visible.
November 9, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Travelled on two GWR Class 80xs yesterday. On both, a longstanding defect which can impact passenger safety. The seat padding fails: the support structure then imposes pressure, leading to an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis.
You can check for this before sitting, the defect is often visible.
You can check for this before sitting, the defect is often visible.
Reposted by Mark Annand
A high-resolution digital map allows people to plan their routes along the ancient roads of the Roman Empire
go.nature.com/4nHZmoM
go.nature.com/4nHZmoM
‘Google Maps’ for Roman roads reveals vast extent of ancient network
Nature - A high-resolution digital map nearly doubles the known length of the ancient road network.
go.nature.com
November 9, 2025 at 10:08 AM
A high-resolution digital map allows people to plan their routes along the ancient roads of the Roman Empire
go.nature.com/4nHZmoM
go.nature.com/4nHZmoM
Reposted by Mark Annand
Drax still burning 250-year-old trees sourced from forests in Canada, experts say
Drax still burning 250-year-old trees sourced from forests in Canada, experts say
Exclusive: report by Stand.earth says subsidiary of power plant received truckloads of whole logs at biomass pellet sites
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Drax still burning 250-year-old trees sourced from forests in Canada, experts say
Reposted by Mark Annand
Some thoughts on why Remembrance is so important, and why attempts to police it should be resisted.
One of the most precious things about Remembrance is that it sets no political tests.
It asks only that we "remember", and that we do so in the silence of our own thoughts.
It doesn't dictate what we remember, how we remember or what lessons we draw.
That's between ourselves and our conscience.🧵
It asks only that we "remember", and that we do so in the silence of our own thoughts.
It doesn't dictate what we remember, how we remember or what lessons we draw.
That's between ourselves and our conscience.🧵
November 9, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Some thoughts on why Remembrance is so important, and why attempts to police it should be resisted.
Reposted by Mark Annand
Excellent essay here on the slow strangling of mass literary culture in the West - most clearly in the US, but it's obviously happening here too
November 9, 2025 at 7:18 AM
Excellent essay here on the slow strangling of mass literary culture in the West - most clearly in the US, but it's obviously happening here too
Reposted by Mark Annand
Definitely worth paying for a flu jab this year, about £15 at pharmacies!
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
November 9, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Definitely worth paying for a flu jab this year, about £15 at pharmacies!
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Mark Annand
Govt scraps all electrification investment. Midland Main Line to stay forever diesel Leicester Nottingham Derby Sheffield. Hugely embarrassing and inexplicable
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
UK transport secretary says full electrification of railways ‘not affordable right now’
Heidi Alexander says focus will be on other projects such as HS2
www.ft.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Govt scraps all electrification investment. Midland Main Line to stay forever diesel Leicester Nottingham Derby Sheffield. Hugely embarrassing and inexplicable
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
www.ft.com/content/5ecd...
Reposted by Mark Annand
I'm walking up the middle of Wales for a couple of days. It's fascinating how the small remote market towns each manage to sustain one really unexpected business like a lingerie shop
November 8, 2025 at 4:37 PM
I'm walking up the middle of Wales for a couple of days. It's fascinating how the small remote market towns each manage to sustain one really unexpected business like a lingerie shop
Stonemasons putting in a lot of weight-reducing stuff at height, right there.
November 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Stonemasons putting in a lot of weight-reducing stuff at height, right there.
Reposted by Mark Annand
In America the revolving door is very clear across several arms of Government
And Peter Theil has a finger in most of these pies.
But this is now spreading to Europe.
Including the U.K.
And Peter Theil has a finger in most of these pies.
But this is now spreading to Europe.
Including the U.K.
November 8, 2025 at 5:03 PM
In America the revolving door is very clear across several arms of Government
And Peter Theil has a finger in most of these pies.
But this is now spreading to Europe.
Including the U.K.
And Peter Theil has a finger in most of these pies.
But this is now spreading to Europe.
Including the U.K.